Japanese Patent Publication No. 2921654 discloses a coupling device used for the above application. Such a coupling device includes a socket (immovable female coupler) and a plug (movable male coupler). Conduits are connected to the socket and the plug, respectively.
The socket is equipped with a circumferential side flange. By attaching the side flange to a mount panel, the socket is secured while being connected to the conduit. When the plug connected to the other conduit is inserted into the socket, the plug and the socket are arranged in a line. With an operation of an inner mechanism built in the socket previously, the respective conduits of the socket and the plug are communicated with each other, so that fluid is transferred.
Generally, the side flange is positioned in the vicinity of the entry to minimize a socket's portion projecting out of the mount panel. Consequently, a socket's portion located on the backside of the mount panel is lengthened relatively. In addition, as the conduit is connected to the socket as mentioned before, the socket is subjected, at its distal end far from the mount panel, to a relatively-large moment of force. Consequently, since a load applied on a joint portion between the mount panel and the side flange gets larger, there arises a possibility that the sealing characteristics is reduced due to the action of the moment.
If the flow rate of fluid flowing through the coupling device is relatively large, the possibility of reducing the sealing characteristics is enhanced furthermore since the load applied on the mount panel is increased to vary the center of the coupling device due to the action of moment.
This invention has been achieved in view of the above situation, and an object thereof is to provide a socket for a fluid-transfer coupling device, which can be stably supported on the mount panel even if the flow rate of fluid is relatively large and which can maintain the sealing characteristics for the long term.